Federal Executive Council Approves Far-Reaching Decisions

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held on Monday was presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The meeting resulted in several key decisions aimed at improving governance and efficiency in the country.

Here are some of the highlights of the decisions taken during the FEC meeting:

1. Construction of Lagos-Port Harcourt-Calabar Coastal Superhighway: FEC approved the construction of the Lagos-Port Harcourt-Calabar Coastal Superhighway to Messrs Hitech Construction Africa.

The first phase, which is 47 km long, will begin in Lagos.

2. Commencement of Social Security Payments: Social security payments to vulnerable households will begin immediately.

Recipients will be required to have both a National Identification Number (NIN) and a Bank Verification Number (BVN).

3. Extension of Social Security Payments: Social security payments will be extended to graduates from the National Certificate in Education (NCE) level and upwards.

4. Establishment of Consumer Credit Scheme: A consumer credit scheme will be established urgently.

The Chief of Staff will lead a committee, including the Budget Minister, Attorney-General, and Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Finance, to make this scheme a reality.

5. Implementation of Steve Oronsaye Panel Recommendations: In a bid to enhance efficiency in the federal service and reduce the cost of governance, FEC decided to implement the recommendations of the Steve Oronsaye panel on the restructuring and rationalization of federal agencies, parastatals, and commissions.

This involves merging, subsuming, and scrapping agencies with similar functions.

An eight-man committee has been set up with a 12-week deadline to ensure the necessary legislative amendments and administrative restructuring needed to implement the reforms efficiently.

The committee comprises key officials such as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Head of the Civil Service, Attorney General and Justice Minister, Budget and Planning Minister, DG Bureau of Public Service Reform, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, and Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly.

The Cabinet Affairs Office will serve as the secretariat.

Key recommendations for implementation include subsuming the National Salaries, Income, and Wages Commission under the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission, merging the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission with the Bureau of Public Enterprise, and scrapping the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, among others.